Maximiliano Araújo scored a left-footed shot to the top corner at the 16th minute, Darwin Núñez and Matías Viña found the back of the net near the end, and Uruguay defeated Panama 3-1 on Sunday night in their debut in the Copa America.
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In search of their 16th title in the South American national team championship, La Celeste imposed their supremacy during the first half but was unable to widen the gap at the home of the Miami Dolphins of the NFL.
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In their second appearance as guests, the Panamanians improved as the game went on and created several dangerous opportunities that troubled Uruguay during the second half.
After several missed opportunities, Núñez finally managed to score a reassuring goal at the 86th minute by connecting with his left foot inside the box. The Liverpool star from the Premier League capitalized on a ball that bounced off Panamanian defender Michael Amir Murillo.
Moments before, Uruguayan fans at the Hard Rock Stadium started chanting "Lucho, Lucho!" for Luis Suárez, the historic Uruguayan scorer who did not play in the Group C match.
Viña scored the third goal in the second minute of stoppage time by heading in a header after a cross from Nicolás de la Cruz.
Murillo cut inside a rival in the box and shot with his left foot to score Panama's goal in the fifth minute of added time.
The first Uruguayan goal was a delight. Viña crafted a pass that Núñez let circulate between the legs, towards Araújo from the edge of the area. The left winger from Toluca in Mexico finished with a shot that beat Panamanian goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera.
Marcelo Bielsa, the Argentine coach of Uruguay, had a triumphant debut in a Copa America after 20 years. He coached the Albiceleste in the 1999 and 2004 editions. He did not have the opportunity to participate in the tournament during his time as the coach of Chile.
With Federico Valverde and Manuel Ugarte as the bosses in the midfield, their team took the initiative from the start, creating half a dozen chances before and after Araújo's brilliant goal.
The Panamanian reaction
In addition to several outstanding saves, Uruguay forgave too much. And what had to happen happened: they left the opponent alive.
The Panamanians pushed up their lines. To the rhythm of Adalberto Carrasquilla at the start, they began to arrive with good touches, with José Fajardo missing a couple of opportunities.
Uruguay is leading the group with three points, tied with the United States. In the early game, the tournament's host team defeated Bolivia 2-0 in Arlington, Texas. Uruguayans and Americans are strong favorites to secure the two spots in the quarterfinals.
What follows
Uruguay will travel to New Jersey to face Bolivia on Thursday, while Panama will take on United States in Atlanta.
This group will close on July 1 with the United States-Uruguay match in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Panama-Bolivia match in Orlando, Florida.